The present invention is directed to the provision of a safe, and also decorative, means for attaching a pacifier, teething ring, rattle, badge, button or other such accessory to a garment to avoid loss. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,037 and is in the form of a strap having a loop to hold the pacifier at one end and a hinged clip at the other end. The hinged clip is attached to an appropriate area of the child's clothing. The hinged clip is an attractive nuisance to the child in that the infant may play with the clip and become injured.
Another approach has been to pin a long ribbon to the clothing, looping the pacifier on the end opposite the pin. However, one major disadvantage to this and other such approaches is the danger of the child being stabbed by an unfastened pin, or perhaps swallowing a pin or clip. A further complaint is the general unattractiveness of such fasteners. While such complaints may be dispelled by securing the safety pin to the rear of a decorative body. The danger from the pin still exists.
Even for adult garments, a badge connected to a garment of high quality fabric by a safety pin or another conventional clip may be both unsightly and damaging to the fabric. Therefore, the present invention is applicable to adult garments as well as to infants' clothing. However, for the purpose of explanation, the invention will for the most part be described with respect to the attachment of a pacifier to an infant's clothing.
The present invention is directed to the attachment of badges to garments while overcoming most of the dangers related to prior known devices and to providing a pacifier attachment means that is a decorative and safe accessory for infants and very young children. Broadly described, the device is a fastener having separable interlocking male and female parts that, when engaged, grip and retain a portion of the child's garment sandwiched therebetween. The fastener of the present invention is not sharp and cannot be swallowed. An elongated ribbon is attached to the fastening device as a tether for the pacifier. In a preferred embodiment, one end of the ribbon is attached to the fastener by a conventional snap and thus may be removed for cleaning. The opposite end of the ribbon is formed into a retaining loop by means of a second snap.
To reduce the risk of serious injury to a child and damage to fabric, the invention does not include any pins or other sharp items which might injure the child. Additionally, the separable male and female elements are enlarged to the extent that an infant or small child will not be able to swallow the device. The male element includes a plug or disk member and an enlarged annular flange surrounding the plug. The plug member is inserted into the female member and retained much in the way a snap fastener works. The enlarged flange increases the diameter of the male element and the resulting piece is generally of a size that would be difficult for an infant or young child to swallow. As a further injury prevention means, the plug member in the preferred embodiment includes an aperture through the center thereof such that, if the element becomes lodged in the mouth, air can still pass through and the child's breathing is unimpaired until the object is removed.
The outer face of the fastener is of a decorative nature and may be in the shape of animal figures, dolls, or the like and have colorful indicia thereon. The fastener preferably is formed from a very hard, rigid and highly durable polymer. It should have smooth surfaces and must be completely non-toxic. A better understanding will be had by a study of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.